Brush with cleaning and protecting means



April 14, 1959 BAUDIN l 2,881,460 BRUSH` WITH CLEANING AND PROTECTING MEANS"4 Filed Aug. 22', 1955 /NVENToR Jacques 5a uduin ATToRNfYs United A States Patent O 2,881,460L BRUSH AND PROTECTING MEANS l Jacques Baudouin, Paris, France Application August 2z, 1955, serial No'. 529,695 4 clnimspriority, application France August z5, 1954 4 claims; (Cl. 1s`1s4) These brusheshave' been inconvenient in certain re spects-, particularly by" reason of the fact that the actuating means for the perforated plate was relatively complicated, and the plate itself, being outside the brush body gave the brush an odd appearance, and made cleaning of the brush body more diflicult. The plate and the means for moving it were also subject to damage.

The brush constituting my invention does not differ in exterior appearance from ordinary brushes now in use. The only matter which concerns the user is the fact that the bristles may be projected from or withdrawn into the body of the brush by means of a simple and natural gesture which corresponds to the movement which is normally made when the brush is used. A spring system insures that the bristles will ordinarily be either fully projected 'and ready for use, or completely retracted within the body of the brush to facilitate carrying or cleaning. Intermediate positions can result only from voluntary action by the user.

My new brush presents many advantages over those heretofore known:

(1) The bristles are projected or withdrawn almost automatically when the brush is used in a normal manner.

(2) The mechanism for moving the bristles is enclosed within the body of the brush so that it is easy to clean and transport without risk of damage to the bristles.

(3) It also possesses all the advantages of a brush provided with an exterior perforated plate which makes it easy to clean the bristles, while sloughing off all the hairs and dirt which may have accumulated thereon and leaving it outside the brush.

In order to enable the subject matter of the invention to be better understood, there will now be described, by way of example and without any limitative character, one embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of an embodiment, the cleaning member of which is stationary;

.Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section of Figure 1, the rubbing surface of which is hidden;

Figure 3 is a view partly in section on the line A-B of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section corresponding to Figure 2 but representing the device in the position of use of the brush.

The embodiment represented in Figures 1-4 com- ICC 2 prises ahandle'less brush providedl with aA plurality of flexible bristles, the frame or body of which is denoted by reference numeral 1, while the bristles are denoted by reference numeral 2. l

Fixed in the frame 1 (Figures 2 and 3) by any suitable means, for example with the aidk of one or more rivets 9, is a exible blade 10, the ends of which are re'- movably lixed on the rims 1I and 12 of two plates 13 and 14 which are assembled along a transverse axis (Fig.- ure 1)- so as to be capable of beingl actuated by a pantoe graphic movement simply by pressure Von rounded rims 13a and: 14a formed on the free ends of the said plates. Formed' onvthe upper face of these plates is a transverse `socket 15, the bottom of which consists of two ramps symmetrically inclined to the transverse axis of the brush (Figure 3). This socket receives a ball 16 kept' in by two strips 17 with which a bar 18, in the form of a fork at its two ends 19, co-operates, these ends being engaged in guiding orifices 20 made in ribs 21 which have been pre-fabricated together with the said plates 13 and 14.

The internal part ofA the block thus formed is housed in a rigid case 22 having two grooves 22a which receive the ends of the plates 13 and 14. The bottom 4 ofthe ease 22 has conical orifices 5 similar to those represented in Figures 1 to 4 and it is provided with two ribs 243 which haveI a downwardly directed rim. The free edge 24a of `a lid 24 of plastic material is` hooked over these ribs.

Normally, the component elements of the brush occupy the position represented in Figure 2. In this position, the points 2 are kept retracted inside the case 22 by the action of the spring 10, the bar 18 divides the recess 15 into two symmetrical housings and'the ball 16 is located in one of these housings.

It will be understood that, on the hand like an ordinary brush, if a pressure in the direction of the arrows F and F (Figure 2) is exerted on the rounded parts 13a and 14a, the component elements undergo a pantographic movement and take up the position represented in Figure 4, in which position, as the plates 13 and 14 have turned around their imaginary axis X-Y, the spring 10 is bent. It is to be noted that the aforesaid movement should be etected while keeping the brush in a horizontal position so that the ball 16, guided by the inclined planes situated in the recesses 15, becomes placed beneath the bar 18 which, not having moved, serves as a resting point for the said ball and keeps the system locked. The points 2 have emerged from the bottom 4 through the holes 5 and the brush is in the position of use.

In order to bring the members back with their initial position shown in Figure 2, it is sufficient to incline the brush to the horizontal through an :angle which is greater than the angle of slope of the inclined planes of the recesses 15, while exerting a renewed pressure on the sides 13a and 14a so as to release the ball 16 from the bar 18. The ball is then kept beneath one or the other of the aforesaid strips 17. At that instant, the spring 10, in returning to its original position, brings the component elements of the brush back into the retracted position and the return movement of the points 2 ensures the desired cleaning.

The rubbing part of the brush hereinbefore described, which is formed of flexible or rigid points, each of which slides in a perforation 5, may also consist, as in brushes of the standard type, of tufts of silk filaments, bristles, horse-hair, vegetable or synthetic fibres (for example superpolyamide threads) or even metallic wires which can slide in each perforation.

It is to be understood that the embodiment hereinbefore described is not of a limitative nature and may holding the brush in undergo any desired modification without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A brush for use on the person land clothing comprising a hollow body constituting a handle and divided into upper and lower parts, the lower part being provided With a plurality of orices, a lbristle carrier within said body supporting a plurality of bristles and movable to project said bristles through said orifices and to withdraw them therefrom, resilient means connected to said bristle carrier, and actuating means contacting said resilient means and acting therethrough to reciprocate said carrier and the bristles thereon, both said resilient means and said actuating means being positioned within said body, said resilient means comprising a leaf spring attached near its middle to said bristle carrier so that when the two ends of the spring are brought closer together it is bowed and forces said bristle carrier toward the perforated side of said hollow body and the bristles through the holes therein, said actuating means comprising a pair of crossed levers, the lower end of one lever being attached to one end of said leaf spring and the lower end of the other lever being attached to the opposite end of said spring so that the spring is bowed and the bristles projected when the upper ends of said crossed levers are -brought closer together.

2. A brush as claimed in claim l in which the upper part of said body is made of a exible material so that the upper ends of said levers may be squeezed toward each other therethrough.

3. A brush as claimed in claim 2 comprising means for locking said lever arms in the position in which said bristles project through sadorices.

4. A brush as claimed in claim 3 in which said locking means comprises a crossbar carried by said levers at a point above the one at which they cross, at least one end of said crossbar being slidable with respect to one of said levers, an elongated socket formed on saidleversat;v said crossing point, disposed transversely of said crossbar, and provided with a bottom which slants upwardly from a point below the crossbar to a point at one side thereof, and a ball in said socket, said crossbar rising with respect to said socket when the upper ends of said levers are brought together to permit said ball to-roll downsaid slanted bottom and come to rest between said bottom and cross bar, thereby preventing said crossbar and levers from returning to their original position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Ian. `7, 1953 

